Your Music Makes My World
by Magical Mistress Sarai
Summary: Naruto has always loved Sasuke but can't have him. Desperate times call for a desperate plan, and Naruto gets Sasuke to make a promise. In ten years, if they are both unattached, then Sasuke will take Naruto on a real date. Ten years is a long time to wait for someone. When Sasuke finally discovers his feelings for Naruto, will it be too late. -Yaoi, Viol, Lang, SasuNaru, NejiNaru-


**Hi, and welcome to yet another idea that burst from my head. Standard things apply. I don't own Naruto. This story is Yaoi, which features men falling in love with men. It happens people, you probably shouldn't be offended by it. I don't write smut, so you won't have anything that damages your virgin eyes. Promise.**

**Leave me reviews, because they pay for future chapters. Enjoy, because I really like this one.**

**Also, this story is being co-authored by my dear muse. He goes by the name of Violente Grey (which is his handle for all his gaming and stuff). He is helping me with all the musical theatre history, and he is also giving me perspective on male x male romance, because honestly... who could be better qualified? So, give him a shout, because he wrote the outline for this story.**

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**Your Music Makes My World  
**By Magical Sarai and Violente Grey

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_Chapter 1 – Later_

**10 years ago**

Naruto was sitting on the roof of Sasuke's house.

The cool night air bit into his skin, raising goose bumps along his flesh as the chilly wind was unrelenting in its passage through the hours of twilight. Normally he would have been indoors by this time, seeing as the seasons were changing and winter was just around the corner, but Naruto couldn't bring himself to go inside, not until the person next to him was finished looking at the stars.

"Ne, Sasuke," the blonde said quietly, not wanting to disturb his friend. "Aren't you cold?"

Sasuke turned to look at Naruto, giving him an emotionless glance before returning his eyes to the starry sky. "No," the other boy replied simply.

"Figures," Naruto muttered. Sasuke was a freaking Uchiha, and for all Naruto could tell the entire family were nothing but a group of unfeeling robots. Sasuke's dad was a powerful businessman, his mother was a fashion designer, and his brother was a lawyer. Every time Naruto had gone over to Sasuke's childhood home, none of Sasuke relatives had shown even the slightest hint that they knew how to show a human emotion.

Sasuke was the exception.

Actually, for the longest time, Naruto would have sworn Sasuke was the same way. The raven haired man was stoic, perfectly poised, heck even his skin was flawless like chiseled marble. The first time Naruto had met Sasuke, back in high school, the two of them had not gotten along at all. In fact, Naruto hadn't befriended Sasuke until their final semester, when after four years of rivalry Sasuke had finally let his emotionless façade crack.

Underneath all of his Uchiha expectations and bravado, Sasuke had the heart of an artist. Of course back then, Naruto was probably the only person in the entire universe who knew this, and the blonde had come across this information purely by coincidence. One the day when they became friends, Naruto had come across Sasuke in an abandoned classroom, and the raven haired boy had been singing.

It wasn't the kind of shower singing that Naruto enjoyed doing, nor was it the crazy in the car on the way to school singing that his godfather Jiraiya would sometimes burst out into. No, this was perfection. Sasuke sang as if he were a professional performer, not a pop star or recording artist, but an actual stage performer whose voice could hit each and every note and key change without needing to pause, record over a mistake, or use a microphone to amplify their voice… Sasuke was a signer, and a damn good one.

Naruto hadn't been able to understand a single word of that song, which Sasuke had later explained was from a German opera—hence the reason he couldn't understand it, but no matter whether or not he could understand it, Naruto had loved it. The music had moved him, yes, in that cheesy, completely corny sort of way that made people cry. Naruto couldn't help himself. He had rushed into the room with tears streaming down his cheeks and a huge smile plastered across his face, and he had hugged Sasuke before the other boy even knew what hit him.

Looking back on it, Naruto could admit that he probably looked like a psychopath back then, both crying and smiling like a mad man, but thankfully Sasuke hadn't punched him. To this day, Naruto couldn't explain what it was about Sasuke's singing that touched him, all the blonde knew was that it was the most beautiful thing he had ever heard, and he yearned to hear as much of it as he could. It was proof that Sasuke was nothing like his emotionless family, proof that the youngest Uchiha not only had a heart but all of the emotional attachments that came with it.

Naruto was pulled out of his thoughts when an arm wrapped itself around his shoulders, and he felt himself pulled across the roof until he was sitting right next to Sasuke. "You should go inside, Dobe," Sasuke muttered. "I don't want you catching a cold."

"Shut up!" Naruto flustered. He wasn't used to Sasuke showing concern. The fact that Sasuke was willing to let his guard down around him was enough, but this was unsettling.

"I hardly speak as it is," Sasuke smirked. "Do you really want me to?"

"No…" Naruto admitted, though he didn't hide his irritation. "Stupid, Teme."

Sasuke let out a soft, melodious chuckle. He only ever laughed around Naruto, "You should see your face."

"What? What about my face?" Naruto brought his hands up to his cheeks, trying to feel for whatever disfigurement had caused Sasuke's laughter, but all he could feel were the whisker-like scars ghosting along his cheeks. He'd had them since his childhood, and, while they were a horrible reminder of things he didn't like talking about, they weren't as disfiguring a condition as some people had to live with, so Naruto didn't feel like he had the right to complain.

"You just look like someone gave you a present and slapped you at the same time," Sasuke snickered. "It's funny."

"Smart ass," Naruto grumbled, but he didn't move away. Despite the fact that Sasuke constantly irritated him, the bastard was definitely warm. Sitting next to Sasuke while the raven looked at the stars, Naruto felt like he could get used to this.

"Better a smart ass than a dumb ass," Sasuke countered.

"Do you talk like that to your girlfriend?" Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"Yep," Sasuke chuckled.

"And she hasn't killed you yet?"

"Sakura is too busy parading around her perfect boyfriend," the raven shrugged. "I think I could literally set her on fire and she wouldn't stop dating me."

"Dude," Naruto shuddered. "That's just creepy."

"Bitches be crazy," Sasuke mused.

"Bee Bee Cee," Naruto nodded. It was an inside joke they had created back in high school, using it to refer to the swarms of fan girls who had stalked Sasuke religiously. Naruto still found it ironic that Sasuke was now dating one of them.

"When are you going to get one?" Sasuke asked offhandedly, not particularly interested.

"Eh," Naruto shrugged. "Who has the time?"

"True," Sasuke nodded. Naruto was always busy. The fact that the blond was even with him tonight was shocking. "What time to you have to leave in the morning?" Sasuke asked.

"Early," Naruto shrugged. "I've got to be in New York for an interview at lunch, so my plane leaves at seven."

"Life style of the professional journalist," Sasuke chuckled. "You have to be where the story is."

"Yep!" Naruto nodded, "And it's quite a story this time."

"Oh?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Naruto gave Sasuke a sly smile. "Jiraiya has written a new play."

"No way!" Sasuke was actually shocked. "What's it been?"

"Six years."

"Is he going to be working with Tsunade?"

"And the pale bastard," Naruto frowned, thinking about the third collaborator. Jiraiya and Tsunade were like his parents, technically they were his godparents, but he'd lived with them since he was three. Unfortunately, they came with a third wheel: Orochimaru. The man was just plain creepy, yet for some reason Naruto's biological parents had named him Naruto's guardian as well. It wasn't that Orochimaru had done anything particularly wrong; he just gave Naruto the creeps.

"All the Sannin are working on it?" Sasuke whistled. "The last time they worked together on a play it swept the Tony Awards."

"Hence the story," Naruto grinned. "I get the exclusive with all three of them. I can't wait to see the Pervert, the Hag, and the Snake all in one room together. I'm hoping there's bloodshed."

Sasuke couldn't help laughing at the evil glint in Naruto's eyes. Whenever the blonde got the slightest hint that a story could be juicy, Naruto got like this: a fire glowed in his eyes. It was determination. Naruto wouldn't settle for anything short of perfection—the perfect words, the perfect images, the perfect story. He was a writer, and a damn good one. You wouldn't know it by looking at the blonde, but Naruto had the ability to write things from a perspective that very few people would even consider, and then he took that perspective and made it prolific. Sasuke loved to read Naruto's words, he had a copy of every piece that Naruto had ever written, but he would never tell the blonde that.

"There's something else," Naruto said coyly.

"What?" Sasuke was instantly apprehensive.

"The play," the blonde had that mischievous glint in his eyes. They were a little bluer, a little bit brighter, and the fire inside them burned a little bit dimmer… like coals rather than flames. It was unnerving. "It's a musical."

Sasuke's jaw dropped, "No… you're lying."

"Nope," Naruto beamed. "Tsunade is writing the songs to go with Jiraiya's words."

"And Orochimaru is directing?"

"Yep."

"This is going to be the biggest thing to hit Broadway since…"

"Wicked… or possibly Cats," Naruto nodded. "Probably both combined."

Sasuke spun to face Naruto, completely forgetting about the stars. He grabbed the blonde by his shoulders and stared Naruto directly in the eye, "You have to get me an audition."

"What? Mr. Professional Opera singer needs someone to help him?" Naruto smirked, and it was fairly decent impersonation of Sasuke—almost too good.

"Every singer in the country is going to want to be a part of this, and my background is Opera not Broadway," Sasuke growled in annoyance. He hated asking for favors, and Naruto was the only person in the world he would ever dream about asking for one. "A smart performer makes use of his connections."

"Fine," Naruto nodded in understanding. "I see where you are coming from…"

"So you'll do it?"

"Of course," Naruto looked offended that Sasuke would ever think that he wouldn't help.

The raven breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you."

"But... you have to do something for _me_," Naruto followed up, leaving his condition unspoken.

There was that feeling of apprehension again. Sasuke felt a slow chill creeping up his spine, like little spiders made out of ice were climbing up his back. Naruto never asked for anything. The blonde was a Good Samaritan, always ready to help someone, especially Sasuke. If the blonde wanted something, now of all times, when Sasuke was practically desperate—though thanks to his Uchiha genes he was able to hide it well—Naruto must have been planning this for a while. "What do you want?" Sasuke ventured tentatively.

"A promise," Naruto said seriously.

"A promise?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow. He didn't like where this was going. "What kind of promise?"

"Look, Sasuke," Naruto sighed. "I'm twenty-four years old… so are you."

"What does that have to do with anything?" the raven frowned.

"It's just," Naruto let out another sigh. "I'm tired Sasuke, tired of looking for something I can't find. I know you are too. That's the only reason your still with Sakura. You've settled."

Sasuke really didn't like where this was going. It was bringing to mind memories of college all over again, where Naruto professed his love. Sasuke had been forced to turn him down, gently of course, but there had been tears and crying, and Naruto had refused to come near him for over a month. It was one of the worst times in his life, and Sasuke didn't want to go back there again. "Sakura's a beautiful girl," Sasuke started.

"And that beauty is skin deep," Naruto growled, cutting the other boy off.

Sasuke couldn't argue that point. Sakura was vapid and vain—plain and simple. "Fine," Sasuke sighed, deciding that cutting to the chase would be better than prolonging the inevitable meltdown. "What do you want me to promise?"

"Ten years," Naruto said firmly.

"Ten years?" Sasuke was confused.

"In ten years, if neither of us are married…" Naruto continued. "If we are both still like this in ten years; then you go out with me for my birthday. A real date where there is every intention of kissing when the thing is said and done."

"Just kissing?" Sasuke smirked. "Sounds like a pretty weak date."

"Hey!" Naruto crossed his arms, pouting. "I'm not about to push my luck."

With a sigh, Sasuke ran a hand through his dark hair, "Naruto… we've talked about this."

"I know," the blond nodded, still completely serious; however, there were no signs of tears, no hidden sorrow… only that burning fire of determination that made Sasuke's heart stop every time that look appeared.

"Then… why?" Sasuke couldn't really bring himself to say more than that.

"Because I know what I want," Naruto said softly, his voice had strength to it though that was unwavering.

Sasuke didn't know how to respond to that. If all truth be told, Sasuke didn't know what he wanted. He couldn't see himself with Sakura in ten years, especially not if he wanted to do this play that Naruto had mentioned. In fact, outside of his career, there was nothing Sasuke wanted or needed… except for the friendship of the man sitting next to him.

"Is it really that horrible of a thought?" Naruto asked. There was a twinge of sadness now present in his voice, "To think about spending the rest of your life with me… like this?" The blonde gestured to the roof.

"Honestly?" Sasuke let out a weak laugh more to ease the tension than anything. "No… not really."

"Then what's the harm in agreeing?" Naruto pushed.

"It wouldn't work," Sasuke said simply. "I like women."

"I'm not asking you for a broad commitment to the rainbow coalition, Sasuke," Naruto growled. "I'm asking you for one thing… just look at me like you look at those stupid tramps you're always fucking."

"I can't," Sasuke hung his head dejectedly.

Naruto was silent for a long moment before he whispered out, "Why?"

And Sasuke couldn't tell him.

He couldn't tell Naruto that he looked at those girls like they were nothing but flesh. He looked at Sakura because she was beautiful; other men thought she was beautiful. He liked for people to know that he had screwed her into a mattress, made her scream out his name, that he had practically defiled and dominated her on every surface in his apartment. Sasuke had done this with countless women, but he looked at all of them as if they were worthless… just means to an end, flesh to help him get off and release a tension that couldn't be released any other way.

He could never look at Naruto that way.

"Because you're not like them," Sasuke said bluntly. It was the truth, and the only way the Sasuke could seem to put his thoughts into words.

The look of sorrow in Naruto's sapphire eyes was enough to tell Sasuke that his words had been misunderstood. "So… you'd give up something potentially wonderful, just because I lack the proper equipment?"

Sasuke sighed. He wanted to scream at Naruto that it wasn't like that. Sasuke didn't ever want to view Naruto as flesh. To place Naruto in a sexual category would meant that Sasuke could screw up; he could potentially treat Naruto like he treated his past romantic affairs—all of which had ended horrifically.

"Say something!" Naruto demanded.

"It's not like that," Sasuke muttered.

"Then what is it like?" the blonde pressed.

"I can't explain it!" Sasuke growled, throwing his hands up in irritation and flopping onto his back.

There was silence again, deep and impenetrable silence. Sasuke hated it, but he didn't know what to say. Hell, he didn't even know what to do. On one hand, Naruto had a point. They got along perfectly, even if they were constantly bickering and irritating one another. Naruto knew Sasuke better than he knew himself, and vice versa. They had shared things they would never share with any other soul… so where was the flaw in moving to a different level?

Fear.

Sasuke was afraid. If he fucked up, which he always did—though he would never admit that to anyone—then he would lose Naruto because they tried to change something that was already perfect. Sasuke didn't want to fuck up, and Naruto knew he always fucked up his relationships, so why as the blonde pushing for this?

"I can't keep doing this," Naruto sighed when Sasuke remained silent.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke didn't like the way Naruto's voice sounded, like he was giving up.

"This! Us!" Naruto groaned. "I can't keep being in love with you."

There it was—that four letter word that Sasuke had been desperately trying to keep from escaping the blonde's mouth; it had caused the raven nightmares for years. Sasuke feared the "L" word simply because he couldn't understand it, had never been able to understand it, and would never understand it. Sasuke hadn't loved anyone. He didn't love his parents; they were overbearing and demanding, trying to plan his entire life out for him while ignoring his desires. Sasuke hadn't loved his brother. No, Itachi had been too perfect, always trying to be the better son, the more successful, the more willing to adhere to father's wishes. Sasuke didn't love Sakura. She was too abrasive and demanding and vapid. As Naruto had said, Sasuke was with her out of convenience.

No, the only person who Sasuke would ever admit that he cared for was Naruto, but did he love the blonde idiot? Sasuke had wondered about that over many a sleepless night. According to some people, Sasuke probably did love Naruto. They shared everything with one another—their lives, their pasts, their hopes for the future, but Sasuke had heard people talk about love. Love was supposed to make you want to sacrifice everything for the other person, to give every part of yourself up in order to make _another_ person happy.

Sasuke wasn't willing to do that, not even for Naruto.

Therefore, Sasuke feared hearing that word leave Naruto's lips, because that word was a curse. It hit Sasuke in the chest like a heavy bludgeoning strike. That word meant that Naruto was willing to give Sasuke everything, and Sasuke wasn't capable—no, he wasn't willing—to give the same in return. Sasuke was selfish, and he knew he was selfish. Why someone like Naruto would love him was baffling.

The raven couldn't look his friend in the eye, "I thought we were over this issue."

"You never had the issue," Naruto chuckled sadly, trying his best to hold back tears that were threatening to fall. Naruto hated crying because it was an obvious sign of weakness, and Sasuke never showed weakness. Strangely enough, Naruto only felt like crying when Sasuke was somehow involved. Perhaps he had some bizarre form of masochism?

"So what are you saying?" Sasuke snarled vehemently. "That we can't be friends if I don't agree to this?"

"No…" Naruto muttered softly, hurt by the tone of Sasuke's voice.

"Then what?" Sasuke asked sharply. He felt cornered. It sounded like no matter what he did he was going to lose Naruto tonight. The only difference was if he lost him immediately, or if Sasuke agreed to put a ten year detonator on their relationship which would explode once Sasuke inevitably fucked up.

"We can still be friends," Naruto sighed. "Just… I'm going to need a break from you. I've convinced myself that I'll never find someone as good as you are, Sasuke, and I won't unless I stop chasing you."

"I'm not a good person, Naruto," Sasuke winced as he admitted this. He always did dislike the pedestal Naruto seemed to set him on.

"No, you are," the blonde grinned.

"Hn," the Raven turned away, unwilling to continue looking at Naruto. He felt like hell was trying to swallow him up, and that hell was made of sapphire eyes clear as ice and blonde hair as wild as fire. "How long are we talking?" Sasuke asked, already afraid of the answer.

"I don't know," Naruto admitted. "As long as it takes… until I find someone else."

"Fine," the raven said gruffly.

"Pardon?" Naruto cocked his head to the side, confusion obvious.

"You go and find someone else," Sasuke growled. He pushed himself up onto his arms, finally making his decision, "and I promise that if neither of us has found what we are looking for in ten years… then I'll take you out for your birthday."

The blonde looked at him skeptically, "I don't want you to agree if you feel forced into it. That wasn't my intention…"

"Shut up," Sasuke flicked Naruto in the forehead. It was a gesture that Itachi used to do to him when they were younger, and it had always annoyed Sasuke. The raven grinned to himself when it had the same effect on Naruto.

"Bastard!" the blonde griped, jerking away from the abusive Uchiha. Sasuke loved to torment him.

"Don't say foolish things," Sasuke sighed, lying back on the roof. "It's not like you could ever force me to do anything."

"Because Uchihas are perfect and all that shit right?"

"Damn straight," Sasuke smirked.

Naruto let out a sigh and lay down on the roof next to Sasuke, "I'm going to miss you."

"You'll make it two week before you call me," Sasuke chuckled. "Three before you're begging me to buy you ramen."

"Heh," Naruto couldn't help but laugh. Sasuke knew him too well. "I'll be surprised if I make it ten days."

"Dobe."

"Teme," Naruto elbowed Sasuke, but there was only playful irritation in the gesture.

Sasuke surprised him; though as he grabbed onto the blonde's elbow, pulling Naruto close until their bodies were side-by-side. The raven then slid and arm under Naruto's head to give him a makeshift pillow. Sasuke said nothing; therefore Naruto didn't say anything. The blonde merely enjoyed the closeness that was very rarely offered by someone as reserved as Sasuke.

"Don't you dare leave me," the raven finally said, thought it was barely a whisper.

Naruto could hear the fear inside Sasuke's words, and the blonde knew all too well what the raven was saying. "I won't," Naruto smiled. "You know I can't."

"Hn," Sasuke nodded, and they both lay there looking up at the stars. "Happy birthday, Naruto."

* * *

**Present Day**

Naruto's phone rang.

It took him a moment of fumbling around inside of his carry-on bag for him to locate the device. Naruto grumbled in frustration. It seemed like he was always losing this blasted cell phone, which was impossible because it was always inside the bag. It seemed like he and the damn smart phone were engaged in a never ending game of hide-and-seek... which currently the phone was winning.

Finally fishing the elusive electronic out of the bag's interior, he thumbed the answer button just before the ringtone reached its final notes. "Hello?" he spoke hastily, trying to keep the caller from hanging up.

"What took so long, Dobe?" a familiar sarcastic voice asked. "The phone winning again?"

"Teme!" Naruto grinned, even though the other man couldn't see him. "Not this time. I'm getting better at predicting its movements."

"It's a sad, sad day when a smart phone is able to outsmart a human," Sasuke said dryly.

"Hey!" Naruto bristled. "They are called smart phones for a reason. They can freaking think for themselves, and they get attitudes. I swear mine refuses to work if I curse at it."

"Then logic would say that you don't curse out your phone," Sasuke chuckled, but then he paused, obviously realizing that he was a willing participant in a conversation about intelligent phones.

"So," Naruto decided to save the socially inept Uchiha. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your voice?"

"When does your plane get here?" Sasuke grabbed the lifeline and got directly to the point.

"I just cleared customs," Naruto breathed a sigh of relief, finally getting to his boarding gate. He had about an hour before his flight would actually board, but it was always better to be early. "My flight left early. I have to catch a small jump from here to New York... should be there in an hour or so."

"So you're already stateside?"

"Yep!" Naruto said excitedly. He couldn't help but noticed that Sasuke sounded a little bit excited himself. "You gonna come pick me up?"

"I can't," Sasuke sounded frustrated. "I didn't expect you till this evening. I have a performance."

"Oh, right!" Naruto scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "This is the final one isn't it?"

"Yes," Sasuke sounded relieved.

"How does it feel?" Naruto teased, "The job you've had for the last ten years is coming to an end."

"I'm glad it's over. I never thought when you got me that audition that I would be in the show for this long."

"Jiraiya cast you because you would make the show a hit," Naruto pointed out.

"And I have the Tony award to prove it," Sasuke gloated. "I just didn't think I would waste so much of my life on one role."

"You could have quit when your contract expired," Naruto again pointed out.

"I couldn't trust anyone else to play the part," Sasuke countered. He was a theater purist, and he also loved the Sannins and their work. While he might complain, the raven wouldn't have spent the last ten years doing anything other than what he had been doing. This had been the best role of his acting career and Sasuke had dedicated his life to making the play a success. Now that it was ending, he could move on and still feel the accomplishment.

"Of course," Naruto chuckled. "No one could play perfect better than you."

"Naturally."

"So you'll be done at nine?" Naruto asked.

"Around that time," Sasuke sighed. "Depends on how many adoring fans I have to say farewell to, and the cast is most likely going to spend time in tears."

"Bet that you avoid that part of the evening like the emotionless bastard you truly are."

"You know me so well," Sasuke chuckled. While it didn't have the same effect as hearing that laughter in person, Naruto could still feel a jolt of electricity run through his body as Sasuke's deep, resonating laughter echoed through the phone's speaker.

"Are you ready for tonight?" Sasuke asked.

"Yes!" Naruto shouted enthusiastically, gaining attention from many of the people around him.

"Calm down," Sasuke chastised, "We can't have you arrested by security. That would really put a damper on the plans I've made."

"Oh?" Naruto asked coyly. "Do tell."

"Later," Sasuke dismissed. "I've got to get into make-up. I'll have my driver come and get you from the airport. He can bring you to my place and you can get cleaned up… take a nap. You're bound to be tired."

"Nah! I slept on the plane," Naruto suppressed a yawn. He didn't want Sasuke to know that he was actually tired.

"Liar," Sasuke didn't need to hear the yawn. He knew that Naruto couldn't sleep on a plane. He was too busy looking out the window, talking to passengers, or making the flight attendants do marathon trips back and forth to the booze trolley.

"Okay, so sue me if I don't want to sleep," Naruto huffed. "You'd never wake me up... out of some stupid sense of doing me a favor."

"You never get enough sleep," Sasuke said, his voice concerned.

"Part of the job," Naruto yawned. "I suffer for my art."

"You suffer needlessly," Sasuke said pointedly. "I've told you time and time again that you should just focus on your novel. Stop the world traveling. Two Pulitzers is enough."

"Says the man who wants to break the record for most Tony's won," Naruto jibed. "What's the current tally?"

"Two down," Sasuke was smirking. Naruto could tell. "Five to go."

"Then I can't let you get ahead of me."

"You should finish that book," Sasuke pressed. "It's good."

"One of these days," Naruto shrugged, switching his phone to the other ear while he readjusted his bag.

"I bet that I can encourage you to retire tonight," Sasuke said, his voice dropping into a deeper octave. If Naruto wasn't mistaken, Sasuke almost sounded… seductive.

Naruto decided to play along. After all, it wasn't like he'd been getting any action on the dating front recently. Not since his last ex, who had turned out to be a psycho. While the relationship had failed, Naruto had managed to salvage his disastrous love affair and turn it into a Pulitzer winning piece. Since then, the blonde had been nothing if not unlucky when it came to love.

"Oh, really?" the blonde asked, feigning ignorance. "How so."

"You're going to have to wait until later," Sasuke teased, his voice practically melodic. "Tonight's a big night. You're thirty-four… that's an important date."

Naruto felt his heart stop in his chest. Was Sasuke saying what Naruto thought he was saying? Was the Uchiha referring to their deal, that promise he'd forced Sasuke into ten years ago? They'd never mentioned it since that night, well… maybe it had come up as an off-handed joke throughout the years, but it had been largely forgotten.

Alright, Naruto would admit to himself that he had secretly been holding out hope for the past ten years… and now Sasuke was practically dangling that hope in front of him like a delicious bowl of ramen. "What are you saying, Sasuke?" Naruto asked, afraid to actually hear an answer.

"Later," Sasuke's voice was rushed. "I've got to go. But…." He paused, "Make sure to wear something sexy."

The line went dead before Naruto could answer.

Sexy?

Since when did Sasuke care if he wore something sexy? Did Sasuke even know what Naruto's "sexy" wardrobe included? And if the Uchiha did know… then which kind of sexy was he wanting?

Naruto was lost in thoughts, completely confused and at the same time insanely hopeful… almost giddy.

* * *

Sasuke walked out of his dressing room with his costume on. He looked every bit like a down and out civilian, someone who barely had two dimes to rub together. His black jeans were riddled with holes, his blue t-shirt was faded and covered in bleached out spots, and his hair was mussed and sticking up in the back like a duck's ass. He hated this starting costume, because it made him feel inferior and inadequate; whereas, in his day to day life he wore the height of fashion and his ebony hair hung to his shoulders in perfectly straight, silken strands that he strived, and paid good money, to maintain.

Naruto always told him that he had perfect hair, yet every night this play made him destroy it. Sasuke spent a literal hour working to get his hair back to normal after every showing.

"Sasuke," a girl walked up to him, giving him a roving glance with ravenous eyes. "Looking good."

"Thank you, Ino," Sasuke nodded politely. They were cordial to one another, and Sasuke had even tried dating her—that had been a disaster. While they had managed a tenuous working relationship, Sasuke always felt like Ino was waiting to pounce on him. The blonde chick was anything but subtle.

"You want to go and grab a drink with me tonight?" Ino bat her eyes coyly. "We can celebrate a good run. It's been a honor to play across from you in such an amazing production.

Sasuke smiled, but it was completely fake—though only Naruto was able to tell the difference in his smiles. Ino actually thought he was being polite. "The play has been a god send," Sasuke agreed, "Unfortunately I have already made plans to celebrate this evening."

"Oh," Ino's face fell in dejection. "What about tomorrow night?"

"Sorry," Sasuke gave her a stern look. "I'm spoken for."

"Who's the lucky girl?" Ino asked, curiosity evident but there was jealousy in her eyes.

"Not a girl," Sasuke gave her a knowing smile, and then he walked past her. Ino was left with her mouth hanging open. Sasuke allowed himself a quiet chuckle; he couldn't wait to tell Naruto about this over dinner. The blonde would get a real ego boost out of it.

Sasuke felt a surge of excitement spread through his chest as the reality of everything settled in.

He was taking Naruto out tonight, on a real date. After ten years of waiting, Sasuke could finally lay claim to his Naruto. If he had to go back and place an exact moment on when he had laid claim to the blonde, Sasuke would admit to himself that it had been that night on roof ten years ago, when he had been faced with the possibility of losing the blonde.

Yes, it had taken him years and multiple failed relationships to admit it to himself, but Sasuke had known that he wanted Naruto. He'd known it for the past three years without a doubt. The only problem had been that Naruto was dating that sociopathic redhead… what was his name again? Gary? Grant? No… Gaara. Yeah, that had been a wrench in the plans, but Sasuke had won in the end. Naruto's birthday was tonight, and Sasuke was going to do everything in his power to win Naruto's heart.

The sheer idea of it was mind blowing; in fact Sasuke had never considered that he would want to date another man. Honestly, he had never been sexually attracted to the same sex… but Naruto was different. The blonde was intelligent, outgoing and energetic; he had the ability to light up a room and draw people to his presence—a presence that Sasuke had always enjoyed monopolizing, but only now did he understand why.

Naruto was like oxygen. Being around him kept Sasuke alive... and once the idea of losing Naruto had be planted, Sasuke had grown desperate to keep him. He began looking at his blonde friend differently. Sasuke had begun to wonder what love was, why Naruto would claim to love him... could he love Naruto? The answer had become undoubtedly: yes!

Sasuke also remembered the first time he had started to view Naruto in a sexual light. It had been about six years ago, when the blonde had come back from an overseas trip. Naruto had been in the desert, documenting one of the ongoing wars that Sasuke never bothered to keep up with. The blonde had finished his story, which went on to win him several awards and recognitions, and the first person he came home to see was none other than Sasuke.

Naruto had been disheveled and even more tan that usual, which made the blonde hair and blue eyes even more prominent. Sasuke had wanted to molest the blonde right there in the doorway, except that Naruto had brought company: a stoic, quiet, glaring redheaded boyfriend. Sasuke had never felt such jealousy in his entire life. Naruto was supposed to be his, and Gaara had trampled all over that.

It had been a difficult few years for Sasuke, because his jealousy made him dislike Gaara… and then Gaara's personality made Sasuke like the redhead even less; however, Naruto was nothing if not loyal. The blonde had laid down the law and told Sasuke to either get along with Gaara… or get along without Naruto in his life. That was the second time that the blonde had threatened to leave him, and Sasuke had never been more terrified. The idea of a life without Naruto was impossible to conceive. Naruto was like sunlight, water, and air. They were necessary for living.

When Gaara had turned out to be absolutely, undeniably bat-shit insane, Naruto had spent months wallowing in self-loathing; then he had spent months apologizing to Sasuke. Naruto made Sasuke promise to speak up next time that something seemed wrong. Naruto had said, and Sasuke loved to remind him of this quote, "If you ever thing I'm dating a psycho, a murderer, or just a dumbass… tell me to dump them, please!"

Naturally, Sasuke had used such a promise to his advantage… many, _many_ times.

Naruto was his, and while he had waited for tonight to make his move, Sasuke was certain that it would all the more romantic because of it.

"Fifteen minutes till curtain," the stage manager called out.

Nodding in acknowledgement, Sasuke began to mentally prepare himself for what was approaching. He always did this before a performance, clearing his mind of thoughts and emotions. He had to empty himself of everything that made him "Sasuke Uchiha", and then he had to embrace all of the aspects of his character once he stepped onto that stage. For the next two and a half hours, he was going to be a completely different person.

"Hey, brat!" a voice called out to him. "You're not nervous are you?"

Sasuke looked out of the corner of his eye to see a tall man with long, jagged white hair. "Jiraiya," Sasuke nodded politely.

"Ah," the man chuckled. "It's that time isn't it? Sasuke isn't in there is he?" Jiraiya knew all about Sasuke's ability to transform his personality and demeanor and literally "become" the character. It was off-putting the first few times the old man had witnessed it, but now it was a skill the old writer could appreciate.

"Go away, or are you trying to ruin the final performance of your masterpiece?"

Jiraiya grinned, "Oh, I wouldn't say this is my masterpiece. It's good but nowhere near as good as what I'm working on right now."

It took every ounce of Sasuke's control to not get excited by this news, "You have a new play?"

"Yep!" Jiraiya grinned, "Tsunade and Orochi both want me to consider you for the lead."

"How soon are we talking?" the raven raised an eyebrow.

"I was hoping that we could discuss the details after the performance," the old man chuckled. "Dinner on me? I'll get Orochimaru to pay for it."

Ignoring the glaring contradiction in that sentence, Sasuke turned to face the older man, giving him an appraising glance.

Jiraiya's new play was that close to being completed? Well, it had been ten years since his last one, so such a thing wasn't that far-fetched. Sasuke could feel tremors of excitement, but they were quickly tempered with a wave of uncertainty. This was excellent news, but it was also conflicting with Sasuke's plans. He didn't want to start another production. Productions took a toll on his body, draining him both physically and mentally. They also took up a majority of his time… time which he was planning to lavish on Naruto.

"Is there a reason for the rush?" Sasuke asked calmly.

"No," the white haired playwright frowned. "You've just always seemed to be a focused actor. I thought you would want to start up another project now that this one is over."

"There are some… things," Sasuke chose his words carefully, "that I wish to focus on before my next role. Can we set the meeting in three months?"

"Ten minutes till curtain," the stage manager hissed at the two of them.

Jiraiya dismissed the abrasive man with a lazy flick of his wrist and focused his attention back to Sasuke, "Any specific thing?"

"Naruto is in town," Sasuke said, not willing to offer any more information.

"I see," Jiraiya grinned. "How long has he been gone this time? A year?"

"Fourteen months," Sasuke couldn't keep the tones of irritation and longing out of his voice. He'd been dying with Naruto overseas. The blonde had been focusing on his work without pause, and Sasuke had felt neglected… but the logical part of his mind was quick to remind him that "turnabout is fair play". How often had Sasuke neglected Naruto in favor of advancing his career as thespian?

"Lots of catching up to do," Jiraiya nodded knowingly. "Tell the kid I said 'hello', and that Tsunade will personally hunt him down if he doesn't come to the house for dinner tomorrow."

"He'll be busy tomorrow," Sasuke smirked. "Tell Tsunade he'll be around on Monday."

Jiraiya grinned like a maniacally lecherous Cheshire cat, "Do tell me, Sasuke. What are you planning to occupy Naruto's entire weekend with?"

"None of your business old man," the raven crossed his arms and turned to look at the stage.

"Five minutes to curtain!" The manager returned, hissing with more urgency and shooting a death glare at Jiraiya.

Jiraiya returned the glare with an even more lethal looking one and the manager scampered away. The white haired author knew that it was time for him to leave, but he decided to give the Uchiha one last word of warning. Naruto was his god son after all, and Jiraiya was violently protective of the blonde brat. "You and Naruto have had a… rough and complicated history, Sasuke. You better not hurt him." Jiraiya left it at that and vanished down stage right, slapping the ass of each chorus girl that he passed.

"…I won't," Sasuke whispered to no one. He didn't know what possessed him to say it. Perhaps he was trying to reassure the universe that he'd finally figured out his own emotions… or perhaps he was just reassuring himself? "…Never again."

"Show time!" the manager whispered to all the actors. He gave Sasuke a particularly stern look and then vanished off into the wings.

Sasuke rushed to his place, ready to enter on his cue. Tonight was his final performance, and he was going to make it one to remember. The raven took a deep breath, settling his nerves and clearing his mind. Two hours where he couldn't think about Naruto, two hours before he could get everything he wanted, two hours before he could finally tell Naruto Uzumaki that he, Sasuke Uchiha, was in love… in love with a loud, obnoxious, blonde idiot… and Sasuke couldn't be happier.

* * *

Airports were boring.

Naruto loved to travel, but he hated airports. Give him a boat, car, train… heck he'd even take a horse and cart! At least those methods of travel didn't require that someone look through his luggage, force him to take off his shoes, and then make him pass through a body scanner that left nothing to the imagination. The complete lack of privacy that airports offered was something Naruto could live without.

With a smirk, the blonde decided to at that to his list of reasons for "Why He Won't Be Leaving New York for a Really Long Time".

His musings were interrupted when his cellphone started ringing with the familiar lyrics of "Forever Young".

Pulling the electronic device that constantly tortured him out of his pocked, Naruto thumbed the screen and answered the call excitedly, "Baa-chan!"

"Don't you act so friendly, brat!" the female voice on the other end of the phone shouted. "I know you're back in New York, and you didn't have the courtesy to call!"

Naruto winced at the decibel level of his godmother's screaming, and he immediately looked guilty, "Eh… how did you find out?"

"Jiraiya just called to tell me that you were going to be occupied all weekend and that you'd be coming around for dinner Monday."

This caused Naruto to look confused for a moment. He didn't have plans for the weekend. In fact, the only plans he had at all were with Sasuke this evening. "Baa-chan…" Naruto crooned sweetly, trying to pacify her. "Where did you get this information?"

"I already told you, brat!"

"Yeah, yeah!" Naruto laughed nervously. "Where did the old pervert get his information then?"

"From Sasuke of course," Naruto could practically see Tsunade rolling her eyes at him.

"Sasuke…" Naruto said the name with a mixture of lust and reverence. Did the raven haired Uchiha had something planned for the weekend? Did it involve Naruto's sexy wardrobe? Why was that bastard being so secretive.

"Hey!" Tsunade barked. "I don't need you slipping off into a daydream when I'm yelling at you! Besides if you get a hard on for that pale-assed brat while I'm even within hearing distance then I'm going to have to take it out of Jiraiya."

"You know he'd like that too much," Naruto chuckled.

"Shut. Up." Tsunade growled.

"But it's true…" Naruto protested.

"I wasn't talking to you, brat!" Tsunade shouted. "I was talking to this idiot over here. He said the same thing you did!"

"Tell the kid I said hi," a low, masculine voice dripped into the speaker. It was soft and slick, like oil or some other substance that could creep silently yet still leave a trail behind… an aftermath if you would.

"Is that Snake-face?" Naruto asked excitedly. "I thought he move back to Hollywood?"

There was a scuffling sound, Tsunade yelled, and then she squawked in protested over something before there was a crashing sound. "Hello, Naruto," the male voice said again, this time much more audible and even smoother than before. It would have made Naruto's skin crawl, except he had grown up around the man for most of his life. In the past few years, Naruto and his third godparent had actually managed to form a rather strong relationship.

"Orochimaru!" Naruto greeted. "It's been too long. Still annoying Baa-chan?"

"Without even trying," the man said dryly. "Having Jiraiya in the same house as us makes my job too easy."

"Wait…" Naruto frowned. His three godparents had always had an odd relationship, but this was weirder than usual. "Why are you all in the same house? Better yet, why are all three of you still alive. Shouldn't Baa-chan have killed one of you by now?"

"She has tried," the snake man audibly swallowed. "Repeatedly."

There was another scuffle, followed by the unmistakable sound of something or someone being punched, and then Tsunade's voice was back on the line, "How dare you lock me in the pantry!?" she shouted. "Stay in there and see how you like it!"

"It will be peaceful!" came Orochi's scathing retort.

"I'm going to kill that man," Tsunade growled.

"You love him and you know it," Naruto teased.

He turned to look down the terminal where a plane had just landed. It was a private flight, which was easily identifiable by the fact that the plane had no commercial logo and the party that disembarked was rather small—just a rather important looking businessman, a small girl, and what appeared to be two bodyguards.

"Then I'm going to kill, Jiraiya," she countered.

"You love him too," Naruto reminded her.

"I love them separately," the woman moaned. "Together they are going to kill me… I have to take preventive measures to ensure my own survival."

Naruto couldn't contain his laughter, "Why are the three of you in the same house?"

"Jiraiya has a new project, and he—"

Tsunade's voice was blocked out by the sound of a girl screaming, men shouting, and then the unmistakable sound of a gunshot. Naruto's head snapped up to see a commotion down at the end of the terminal where he was at, where the group of people had been disembarking.

There were three men with guns all pointed at the businessman, one of the bodyguards was on the ground bleeding from a gunshot wound, and the other bodyguard was trying to shield the businessman, forcing him back toward the plane. Alarms rang throughout the airport and Naruto saw the masses of people around him start to panic.

"Naruto!" Tsunade's booming shout blared from the speaker in his phone, loud enough to be heard over the commotion inside the airport. "What the hell is happening!?" Most people were fleeing from the sight of the gunmen, no one really paying attention to what was happening, but Naruto saw something that no one else seemed to be noticing: he saw the little dark haired girl duck between the legs of one of the gunmen and run towards the bathrooms.

"Sorry, Baa-chan," Naruto said hurriedly. "I've got to go." He hung up the phone, not certain what possessed him, and he pushed through the crowd toward the bathroom. Something was urging him to make certain the girl was alright. Sasuke had always complained that Naruto had a hero complex. Smirking as Sasuke's face appeared in his head, Naruto moved forward.

He heard more gunshots, and instinctively he crouched low and hugged the wall, running as quickly as he could in order to reach his destination.

Memories came flashing back to him of his time covering the border skirmishes in third world countries. Barely a day would go by that someone wasn't firing at him or the vehicle he was in. Compared to those months, three men firing weapons inside of an airports shouldn't have been anything to be concerned with. Heck! It would make a great story for the _New York Times_.

But for some reason Naruto's heart was hammering in his chest, threatening to shatter his ribcage as it tried to escape. He hadn't felt this much adrenaline in weeks, and slowly a deep weight settled in his stomach… a sense of dread overcoming him. Only one thought was present other than survival—he had to make it to that girl, and he had to make certain he wasn't seen.

"Where's the girl!?" a deep voice shouted.

"She ran off!" another one growled.

"You go finish that bastard, Hyuga off!" a third voice yelled, "And you come with me! We're gonna find her!"

Naruto didn't like the sound of that. Before he could second guess himself, Naruto ducked into the bathroom entrance and started looking for the small child.

The airport seemed eerily quiet. Aside from the blare of alarms, Naruto couldn't hear anyone screaming and he couldn't hear sirens that announced the arrival of the police. What was going on? Why hadn't security shown up yet? Better yet, how had three armed men gotten inside of the LaGuardia airport? Naruto then heard a sound. It was faint, muffled, but it was the unmistakable sob of a small child.

"Hello?" Naruto whispered.

There was a short intake of breath and a scampering of tiny feet.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he said softly. "I'm here to keep you safe."

"Leave me alone…" a soft voice called out.

It was enough for Naruto to locate her. She was huddled under the sinks, trying to hide behind a trashcan. It was a good hiding spot, and since she had rushed into the men's restrooms… she probably wouldn't have been found if she had stayed quiet.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Naruto repeated. He stayed crouched and moved the trashcan to better see the little girl. She had long, straight black hair that almost appeared blue, and she started up at him with large, lavender colored eyes that were full of fear.

"Please go away…" the girl whispered, "they'll find me."

Naruto held his arms out, "I'll keep you safe. We'll find your dad, okay?" He was probably lying to the girl. For all the blonde knew, her father was laying out there in the terminal with bullet holes in him, but it was better to lie to the girl and keep her calm… get her to safety. The potential tragedy could be addressed later.

"I…" the girl whimpered.

"I promise…" Naruto said, and his voice was full of earnest intentions. He never broke a promise, not if he could help it.

There was a moment's hesitation, and then the girl rushed into his arms. She clung to Naruto's shirt for dear life, shaking violently as her fear threatened to overwhelm her. Instinctively, Naruto wrapped his arms around her small frame, pulling close and hugging her tightly. No child should have to go through something like this. Naruto knew from experience the horrors of childhood tragedies and what horrors they could inflict on a child's fragile psyche.

He'd experienced it himself… when he was three years old. His parents had gone out for a movie night, leaving Naruto in the care of his godparents. They'd promised to come home early and take him out for ice cream, except that had never happened.

The blonde had a vivid flashback of wait for his parents that night. He'd been standing eagerly on the steps, bouncing from one foot to the other excitedly as he looked for his parents' car. Tsunade was holding his hand and Jiraiya had been teasing Orochimaru about something stupid…. Naruto couldn't remember those details.

He did remember the details about what had happened next.

Naruto remembered seeing his parents turn around the corner, their blue sedan glinting in the light of a streetlamp. He remembered seeing his mother and father laughing at one another, both of them waving to him as the car pulled through an intersection. He remembered the loud, deafening sound of a horn belting into the night. He remembered seeing a large red and black truck come out of nowhere, its breaks screeching as it tried to stop. He remembered the sickening sound of metal against metal as the two vehicles collided, the screams of his godparents as they rushed to help and tried to keep Naruto from running toward the accident.

…and he remembered the image that was emblazoned into the back of the large cargo truck, one of the many delivery vehicles that sped around Manhattan. The truck in and of itself was nothing special, but Naruto would never forget that logo… the vicious looking red fox, with evil looking eyes and a flaming tail that formed the cursive words "Kyuubi Delivery Services".

That truck had taken everything from Naruto, and his childhood was nothing but memories of court proceedings. Custody hearings that his godparents had to go through to get legal proof that they could take care of Naruto, for all of his godparents had pasts the government deemed as "unfit to care for a child"; lawsuits where Naruto ended up getting millions of dollars from the Kyuubi company, causing it to go bankrupt; and then the on going court case where Naruto was trying to get a traffic light placed at the intersection where his parents were killed—he still hadn't won that case, not after twenty years of court battles. His parents were the only accident to ever occur there, and the city didn't deem it a valid use of resources.

Naruto gripped the little girl tightly as all of his memories chose that exact moment to come rushing back. Tears threatened to leak out of the corners of his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. He closed them tightly, forcing back his sorrow. He wouldn't let something like his past happen to this little girl… not if he could help it.

He heard footsteps enter the bathroom, followed by another. Looking around frantically for a place to hide, Naruto discovered it was too late.

"What do we have here?" a male voice asked. Naruto clutched the girl tighter to his chest and he huddled under the sink counter, leaving only his back visible to the gunmen.

"Looks like someone trying to be a hero," a second voice chuckled. "Give us the kid and you can get out of here alive."

Naruto only huddled further under the sink, trying his best to become a part of the plumbing.

"Fine, be a hero," the first voice said.

There was the sound of gun being cocked, a bullet entering the chamber. "Wait…" the second voice growled. "If you shoot him… you might hit the girl. She's worthless if she's dead."

"Fine…" the first man sighed.

Naruto felt something blunt slam into the right side of his back, and a sharp pain erupted through his body as the blow struck him. It was repeated again, and again. One of the men was kicking him, and they were putting everything they had into it. What was the man wearing? A steel-toed boot? Naruto bit his lip to keep from crying out in pain. He didn't want to frighten the trembling child in his arms, but the pain was unbearable.

"Get out from under there!" a voice barked.

Naruto felt a hand tangle in his hair, jerking him out from under the sink and threatening to rip his blonde locks out by their roots. He was tossed across the floor, his shoulder hitting the wall with a sick CRUNCH, but he managed to keep the child safe. He landed on the floor, still cradling her to his chest and still using every inch of his body to shield her from their attackers.

There was a brief, delirious thought of "Why am I doing this?" which passed through Naruto's mind, but it was completely banished once he heard the girl's soft crying. Yes, he may have had no attachment to this child, and, yes, he could have abandoned her so save his own life, but Naruto would have felt like a monster. Her face would have haunted him for the rest of his life. Naruto Uzumaki was no coward, and he defended innocent people whenever he could. That was his job. His journalism had always been about bringing voice to the innocents who couldn't speak for themselves… and while this wasn't a story, and this girl would probably never want to be on the front page of any publication, Naruto was going to protect her.

"You're a stupid punk," the first man chuckled. "You know that blondie?"

Another kick landed in Naruto's ribs, a second smashed into the side of his head. The blonde collapsed on the floor, but he didn't let go of the girl. It took every bit of his strength to keep his weight off of her, but she was safe. The only way these bastards would get to her would be if they pulled Naruto's corpse off, and even then they would have break his lifeless limbs, because he wouldn't let go.

"Man, we need to get out of here!" the second voice said anxiously. "The cops are probably already here."

As if to punctuate this statement, sirens could be heard in the distance.

Naruto smirked, "Looks like time's up."

"You arrogant prick," the first man snarled.

Naruto felt something slam into the back of his head, and he felt a trail of something warm leaking down the back of his neck. It was strange. He felt warmth and his head felt kind of fuzzy… hell! It was kind of nice, considering his body was in pain. He could feel bruises swelling on his back and Naruto was certain he had a broken rib or three.

"You son…" another kick, "of…" something bashed the side of Naruto's face, it felt metallic… probably the man's gun, "a…" another kick to the ribs, followed by a CRACK and the feeling of something wet staining his clothes, "BITCH!" the man screamed the last word.

"Do you have the girl?!" a third voice cried frantically. The sound of someone rushing into the bathroom could be heard. "Holy shit! What are you doing!?"

"This bastard!" the first man snarled, kicking Naruto again. "Won't let her go."

"Then lets go!" the third man groaned. "The cops are swarming the place! If we don't get to the escape route now, we're gonna get caught."

"Fuck that!" the second man shouted, and Naruto could hear footsteps receding as two pairs of feet hurried out of the bathroom.

"Shit…" the first man sighed.

Naruto could hear him pace a few, frantic steps.

"D'you have any idea what you've cost me?" the man asked.

Naruto's brain was too clouded to answer. It took all of his will power to just stay conscious. Everything hurt, and he was now certain that he was bleeding. He could taste blood that was flowing from a gash on his forehead.

"DO YOU!?" The man shouted, stomping on Naruto's back.

The blow caused Naruto's knees to buckle, and he almost completely collapsed on top of the child he was protecting.

"Fuck…" the man breathed, and it sounded as if he were about to leave.

Then Naruto felt the cold, unforgiving kiss of a gun barrel pressing against the side of his head.

"I'm taking the girl…" the man whispered coldly. "Hope this was worth it…"

Naruto's grit his teeth and closed his eyes tightly. He wasn't ready! The police weren't here yet. This man could still take the girl. This couldn't be happening!

The injustice of it all just came crashing down around the blonde. He was going to die. He was going to die and it was all going to be meaningless because the girl wouldn't be safe.

"HINATA!?" a male voice shouted from somewhere out side.

"Shit!" the gunman snarled.

"HINATA!?"

Naruto felt a brief surge of hope. Someone was out there, and they were probably looking for the girl. She would be safe. This man wouldn't' get her… he would probably leave now.

"Well, I'm still gonna kill you blondie," the man chuckled.

Naruto's blood froze.

"See you in hell…" the cold voice sneered. The gun was pressed even harder against the blonde's skull.

Naruto's eyes widened in shock. "Sasuke," he cried silently, the tears he had held back flowing freely. He saw the beautiful raven's face, something he treasured above everything else. "I'm so sorry!"

…and the room exploded with the roar of thunder.

* * *

_**Authors' Notes:**_

_Alright, after that sentence people are probably feeling something akin to anger and hatred towards me as a writer. I want you to know, that I never really like to start a story off with violence. In fact, most of my stories don't have all that much violence in them because I prefer action and what not. Yes, I write characters getting hurt, and sometimes minor people die and yeah I put the suspense there... but this is new. In fact, it is the ending scene that Violente pitched to me when he brought this idea up. I loved the idea of two people who made a ten-year promise and on the day when that promise was supposed to happen... well, you saw what just went down._

_You can all thank Violente, and if you hate it... well send your hatred towards him._

**Violente: You're a downright vicious bitch, Sarai. I hope you know that.**

_Yes, yes I am. I'm also very proud of my self-preservation skills._

**Violente: Just tell them about the significance of the chapter titles please.**

_Right, so the title of each chapter will also be the title of a rather famous Broadway song (show tune if you will). This song, "Later" is from a show by Stephen Sondheim called "A Little Night Music". It's a very beautiful song. If you go to YouTube, look for the version sung by Bernadette Peters. That's the version I listened to for inspiration while writing this._

**Violente: Every song you should just looked for the one that Bernadette Peters sings. I have an unhealthy obsession with her and my entire outline was inspired by the soundtrack of one of her concerts.**

_Yeah... we need to have a talk about that one of these days._

**Violente: As soon as we talk about your obsession with Yaoi.**

_Ok, we won't be having a talk then..._

**Violente: Please review, because while I love this story... I need Sarai to actually work her magic and "WRITE" it for me. I suck at the finer details. Reviews make her do her job. She's otherwise a lazy bum.**

_I just have other priorities._

**Violente: League of Legends is not a priority.**

_Tell that to my silver ranking._

**Violente: Just help me out. Please review.**

_Anyways, this is the first chapter. We are working off of a ten chapter outline. I don't see it getting any longer than that, Each chapter should be around the same length as this one. We look forward to hearing from you all!_

**Violente: and when you critique her writing... be thorough! Sarai is getting too cocky these days.**

_My writing is sexy and you know it!_

**Violente: Why did I ever agree to this?**


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